Company History

The Root Production Method (RPM) was originally developed by Wayne Lovelace at the Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry, Missouri. Frustrated by the the low survivorship and slow growth of bare-root seedlings in wetland restoration projects, Mr.Lovelace started growing trees specifically for these challenging conditions. Through years of refinement and research, his focus narrowed to the early development of a tree's root system, giving rise to the Root Production Method. The first RPM tree was sold in 1990.

The 1993 flood that devastated oaks and wildlife along the Mississippi River accelerated regional demand for RPM seedlings. Authoritative research studies by the University of Missouri for Agroforestry Research Center verified the exceptional qualities of RPM trees. Other studies by The Queen's University and Green Mount College of Agriculture in the United Kingdom concluded that RPM produces tree seedlings of superior quality and improved vigor compared with cell grown and bare root seedlings.